Japanese police arrest Chinese man over fire in Tokyo

By

Wooyoung Lee

Relatives of war dead walk towards the wooden torii gate as they visit Yasukuni Shrine to offer prayers for war dead and wish for peace in Tokyo, Japan, on Aug. 15, the 73rd anniversary of the end of World War II. Some 3.1 million Japanese soldiers and civilians were killed during the war, almost 2.5 million of whom are enshrined at Yasukuni, including convicted WWII war criminals. Photo by Kimimasa Mayama/EPA-EFE

Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Japanese police arrested Wednesday a man, who claimed to be from Hong Kong, for allegedly setting a fire at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, Japanese media reported.

The fire started from a newspaper at around 7 a.m. Wednesday near the entrance of the shrine, a home for the Japanese war dead. It extinguished shortly after without spreading, according to Mainichi Shimbun.

Tokyo police have arrested a man of illegal trespassing. They are also investigating a woman who was with the man.

The shrine, seen as a symbol of Japanese imperialism, has met with controversies and criticisms for honoring convicted war criminals of World War II. Many of the soldiers and civilians killed during WWII are enshrined at Yasukuni.

The South Korean and Chinese governments have often expressed regret over Japanese politicians' ritual offering to the shrine.